Joining the Bandwagon

Yitro is beyond impressed. He hears about the miracles, the plagues, the splitting of the sea—and he’s all in. He converts to Team Judaism, packs up from his hometown, brings his family, and essentially announces, “I’m with y’all now!” It’s the ultimate bandwagon move (like 99% of the Chief’s fanbase).

But literally right after, he starts giving Moshe his unasked-for business advice. “Listen, this system you’ve got? It’s a mess. You’re sitting there judging people all day long? That’s not scalable. You need structure. You need delegation. You need more middle management (said nobody ever).”

Wait a second. Just a minute ago, Yitro was so blown away by what Moshe and the Jewish people had accomplished that he left his old life behind. I mean, it is a Jewish thing to critique, but so soon?

Yes!

Joining a winning team doesn’t mean surrendering your individuality and the ability to think independently. Yitro saw something special and joined it, but that didn’t mean he had to turn off his brain and blindly accept everything as perfect. He recognized something incredible, but he also saw an opportunity for improvement. And he wasn’t afraid to say it.

It’s wrong to think that all success means is fitting in, playing along, and never questioning anything. We join the “winning team,” whether it’s a company, community, or ideology – and suddenly, we stop thinking critically. We assume that just because it’s shiny and it works, it must be the best way.

The Torah reminds us that real commitment doesn’t mean blind acceptance.

It means engagement.

It means recognizing strengths while also willing to say, Hey, I think there’s even a better way to do this.

And on the opposite side, the greatness of Moshe and the Jewish people wasn’t just in receiving wisdom – it was in being open to implementing the change it would bring. Moshe didn’t say, “Excuse me, who just got here?” He listened. He adapted and made change.

Being part of something great doesn’t mean losing yourself in it. It means bringing your unique perspective into it. The goal isn’t just to join a winning team – it’s to help make it even better.

So please join the bandwagon of the New York Jets winning the Superbowl next year!

And yes, I’m kidding.

Shabbat Shalom!